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- We're somewhere in this vicinity.

So this is coming to hit us today.

Uh oh.

- What's that sound?

- That, that's the evacuation.

Are we allowed to leave?

- Welcome back to Stab in the Dark,

the search to find the world's best surfboard.

Ambitious, flawed and sometimes frustrating,

it Stab's annual blind date with surfboard design.

11 surfboards crafted by the world's

most prestigious and high profile board builders.

All painted black for anonymity,

all tested by a mystery pro surfer.

This time a face we're all very familiar with.

Three time world champ, and master of zen,

Mr Michael Eugene Fanning.

- When we're looking at sort of somewhere to go,

we're looking at either like Mexico or El Salvador,

and then just last minute we just saw a typhoon

about to head to Japan

and here we are, we're in Japan.

- This year, Mick a serial entrepreneur,

partnered Stab with his new start up, Awayco.

A boardless travel app,

allowing surfers to fly coffin free,

as Mick did last minute to meet us

in Japan for the typhoon swell.

- Have you seen how big this thing is, the storm?

Wowzas.

I saw a map and it said, 80 to 130 feet.

35 feet at 18 seconds,

I think I just ordered shorties, five tens.

Whoa black, feels nice, volume's good.

Few epoxies, never really ride epoxies.

Look at that one, that one's a different color.

That's a nice tail.

This one needs a bit of a wet rub.

A bit light though, eh?

This probably the only one that will do a swallow.

This is a weirdo.

Oh is this the one I was saying is a Mayhem?

Nah, this ain't a Mayhem.

This is 14.

Think it's a Chilli,

or a Simon.

79, which I think's a JS.

Zero three,

which I think is a Pyzel.

99, little unsure of exactly who that is.

33 , not exactly sure.

That's American though, I can tell it's American.

41, this is a Mayhem.

29,

and I think this is a Merrick

86, I think it's a DH.

Number 54,

I'm not exactly sure who's this is,

and that's it.

- Thank you.

- Ta da. - That's it.

- In previous years,

the rules for Stab in the Dark

required all boards feature a wooden stringer.

This year, working with sustainable surf

and their eco board construction,

all boards must feature

proprietary polyethylene free technology,

or what's commonly known as epoxy, no stringers.

We'll get back to the rest of the rules later.

- My relationship with epoxy is probably slim to none.

This is the perfect sort of thing for me to do

a Stab in the Dark,

because I don't know much about epoxies.

As I say I've never ridden them,

and if we kept riding the same PU boards,

it wouldn't be anything new.

I wouldn't feel anything new, I wouldn't learn as much.

Yeah it's gonna be fun when I saw them all in half

and figure out what's doing what.

It's about a million foot everywhere else,

so we came to Kitty's Corner,

and we figured

we'll just try and get a couple of boards done

and it's unsure, lumpy, and pretty horrible there.

I guess epoxies in this sort of conditions

pretty perfect so,

we'll see what happens.

- When you're in the sweet spot,

it feels really alive like,

zingy and it just felt like it wasn't

coming with me when I wanted to roll over a bit.

Straight up and down felt good, and hell of a good speed,

like all the time,

like it wasn't stop and starting or anything like that.

- I think it's a Mayhem,

it feels exactly like a Mayhem.

It's a pointy nose,

and then these tucked under rails

and then once you're up and riding,

they're really forgiving

when you're on that front foot,

like you can just throw the towel in

and just roll on your front foot,

and it'll just sort of like,

just ease your way out of it, you know?

But no, I liked it.

Probably the only thing is just,

it's a bit on the chunky side.

I know I'm a bit fat but,

maybe just a little bit on the chunky side.

But it felt good, I liked it.

Yeah like the relationship what I have with DH

is probably different

to every other shaper surfer relationship.

I always want to try new things and the understanding was

you can't get better unless you try.

So trying new boards from different shapers

was always a big priority for me.

You know, the whole board

might not work through all conditions

but there might be one percent or two percent

that I can go,

hey DH, I felt this, I felt that, and we'll be able

to work that into our boards and so,

it makes him a better shaper too

because it keeps him on his toes.

He sees, oh I'm riding a Mayhem in a heat

or a tecora or something like that,

then he's just like,

"Oh man, I gotta step my game up."

So it's good competition for him.

- Each year we invite

the world's most high profile shapers

to compete in Stab in the Dark.

Most have shaped boards that won world titles,

or were international best sellers,

but we also make room for a few dark horses.

This year's lineup includes

Roberts Surfboards from Ventura, California,

and Pukas from the Basque Country,

shaped by Axel Lorentz.

- As soon as I stood up it felt connected, first turn just,

I didn't have to think about it or whatever.

It felt really nice, had really good drive,

roll over really nice through turns.

Yeah I liked it, it had good fly.

At this stage, it's the best one I've ridden, yeah, sure.

- In the three previous Stab in the Darks,

Australian board builder Jason Stevenson a.k.a. JS

has always made the final.

Dane, Jordy and Julian loved his boards

and as the most consistent shaper in the game.

It's always been a goal of his to win the contest.

- Number 79,

it didn't last long, broken.

On my last wave it just felt like it was flexing a bit,

and I was like oh, this thing feels a bit flimsy so,

and if I get caught in the wrong spot,

I'm sure it's gonna break.

Sure enough, copped a few on the head,

and my leg rope was about a million foot long there,

but er, that didn't break.

It's broke.

Whoever's number 79, it's not a typhoon board, sorry.

- It didn't do anything crazy,

it was really really solid,

but the one key factor that it had,

it was super fast.

It'd sit up on the water and it just took off,

so I liked it, I liked it.

I think it's a Merrick.

I've ridden Merrick's, yeah a long time ago,

it's definitely in the top two I think.

And the one from this morning and then this one,

I think they're the two front runners so far.

That wave is huge, it just closed out the whole way.

Look at this.

165 to 260 feet.

- Bad. - Out there.

Oh wow, we didn't even look at the winds.

73 to 100 miles an hour.

Might need to change those five 10 epoxies to wind surfers.

Far out.

- Hawaiian board builder and lifetime shaper

of John Florence,

Jon Pyzel has only entered Stab in the Dark twice.

- No.

- He's won both times.

This year faced with the spectre of a three-peat,

we thought it fitting

to give his board sticker number three.

- Oh that was hectic out there.

Just getting pounded.

It's sort of like Haleiwa

where it would push you into the lineup too

and just smash you, but it was fun.

It's sorta like when you got to,

whenever I did a cup,

it would turn so nice and tight,

and once you sorta,

rock forward and got out in the face a little bit,

it felt like it pushed a little bit of water,

but I reckon in the right way,

the thing would be pretty sick like, super choppy.

You know, for how big it was out there too,

I guess it held in,

so that was a bonus.

For me a magic board does everything,

it goes in all conditions.

A board should be like a speedboat on the perfect lake,

it should just flow.

The things that I look at is, you know, speed,

it's gotta go fast,

it's gotta be drivey,

it's gotta be able to roll over on rails.

If I can get those three things,

I'd class as a good board.

The difference between a good board and a great board,

might only be five, three percent.

When I was competing,

all the sudden you'd get one board

that just stood out above the rest,

and you see that.

You know for example,

when Kelly had the Simon Anderson

that he rode at Bells, rode at J-Bay.

You know he rode it pretty much everywhere.

You know Taj had a Mayhem,

and he rode at Trestles,

the thing was just off the hook,

it just stuck to his heels,

like it was just like an extension of the body really,

you know when someone's on that board.

I've had two boards, one was in 2007.

I already surfed the first round in the Quiksilver Contest,

and then DH just made me one,

rushed me one overnight.

That board just,

as soon as I jumped on it, I was going, wow.

This thing is so different to anything he's ever made me,

that was the one that sorta,

I rode pretty much every event, to 2000 world title,

and it was like, seriously, first wave, I knew it was magic.

Then I had a board in 2009,

I went from down from six O, I think,

or six one even, down to a five 11.

It was just when I changed from fixed fins to FCS2.

I was thinking, oh it's gonna be too small,

it's gonna be squirrely,

cos that's what usually happens with me

when I jump them boards,

and the thing had so much drive,

it had so much to give,

that I just loved it.

That board won three out of the last five events.

Those two board were definitely,

yeah the catalysts for two world titles.

Well we called that one the money maker.

It won be 100 grand at Trestles, 30 grand at France,

10 maybe, in Mundaka,

and then another win in Portugal.

- Yeah, definitely, definitely.

Well it definitely helped out with my next contract.

- So how do you win Stab in the Dark?

First, each shaper must play by a set of rules.

The surfer's identity remains secret.

The only info shapers receive,

the surfer is five foot ten inches,

80 kilos and has requested

five foot ten and a half inch short boards,

thrusters only.

The surf, quote unquote, sand bottom points,

though there could be some reef.

In full transparency

and in hopes of honest, unbiased feedback,

shapers enter Stab in the Dark for free.

And one last thing,

while our best efforts are made to test each board fairly,

there's no guarantee each will see the same surf.

This year, DHD and Slater Designs got to test the theory

that epoxies work best in,

shall we say sub-par conditions.

- This thing is,

it just automatically went after I finally split up,

but flow, speed, had great drive, great release.

Pretty bloody good,

- Pretty good.

- You know what it is?

- I know exactly what it is.

I'm sort of excited to try this one.

If it is who I think it is,

I haven't ridden one of these boards in,

probably almost ten years,

if I still remember it or not.

That's if it is what I think it is,

if it's not, then just disregard everything I've said.

- That felt alright.

Got plenty of speed and yeah plenty of flow.

I felt like it just couldn't go to that next level,

but it was solid all round,

like it was definitely top four.

You got the signing.

- Oh I know,

yeah.

- Thank you.

- Man, that was so close to being really good.

Like it did everything.

Couple of times, I'd push off the bottom

and it flanks out and I just push through it.

I think if it was a little bit thicker,

I think it'd be a good board.

Yeah, a board that you could ride

each and every day and be happy.

So yeah, I don't think you could have a bad surf on it.

Yeah, that's good.

- So, at the last minute we found out we'd just,

we've come to Japan,

so we hooked up a local shaper

and I don't know who it is,

don't know where the board came from

but Boysie's drove five hours to deliver it, so yeah.

How are you?

- Good.

- Good?

Cheers, thank you.

- Please.

- Did you make?

- No.

- Nah.

Who made?

Nah, just joking.

Oh, it looks nice.

- Yeah, it's good.

- You try it, yeah.

- Yeah, we'll try.

Alright, let's go surf.

- We'll see you next time.

- For sure, we'll see you soon.

- Thank you .

- Hello.

- Nice to meet you.

Cool.

A little late the delivery,

this board was actually meant to be here a few days ago

but because of the typhoon,

flights got canceled and so we had to get it couriered

and yeah, here it is.

Don't know whose it is

but it looks pretty nice.

I'm looking at it and I'm,

I think this,

could this be a Chilli?

Never thought I'd ride a Chilli today,

so confused.

Yeah this is a board that arrived late

and I really wouldn't have a clue.

I thought it was,

I thought a board that I rode yesterday was

something, I thought it was a Chilli,

and then I picked this one up

and now I think this is a Chilli

and I'm just, I don't know mate, I don't know.

I just don't know.

We'll just see if it goes good or not.

Bye.

- I'm exhausted.

You can do a thing where at the start

you can see how fat I was

and then look at me, hourglass body.

11 boards in six days.

Alright, what do we want?

Number 21.

To me, it felt like a Californian board.

Really forgiving,

yeah just didn't have that X factor,

but it'd be in the middle of the pack for sure.

And then the other one, the late arrival we'll call it.

If I could get up and glide,

sorta, keep it really light footed,

then it felt good.

It had really good release,

but as soon as I sort of tried to push and drive,

it felt like it just wouldn't get up there

but like for a lighter person,

maybe a little more light footed person,

then probably be a good board, good pummeler.

- There are too many ways

to describe a shitty surfboard.

- This thing sucks, that sucks,

that sucks.

- Well that board sucked,

what a waste of a grip.

- Mick Fanning doesn't like to use any of 'em.

- I enjoyed it, it felt good, I liked it.

But no, I liked it.

Really fun.

I liked it.

I liked it, I liked it,

it was fun.

That board felt good.

Pretty bloody good,

pretty good.

Felt good, felt nice, I liked it.

It felt good,

a good board, a good pummeler.

Done all the boards,

the swell's over,

time to pack.

This one's coming to the final.

I'm gonna give this one another go as well,

it was super super fast.

66, I wanna give this another go

and see exactly what it does,

so this one's gonna come to the final as well.

We'll zip these up,

take them across the Pacific to Trestles

and then that way, that's a little bit fairer.

- We've just run into a bit of a problem.

I'm pretty sure that 86 is a DH.

So, is that right mate?

86?

- Yeah. - DH? It is, eh.

- Yep, it is.

- Yeah so, I sort of feel a bit bad.

- So why is Mick

having a crisis of conscience here?

Well he's ridden Darren Handley,

a.k.a. DHD's Boards for 20 plus years

and the board he's riding, despite being epoxy,

it feels eerily familiar.

I know exactly what it is.

- While Julian Wilson crowned DHD the winner

of the first Stab in the dark back in 2015,

Mick, aware that DH would have known

that he was this years mystery surfer,

feels that his old pal has had an unfair advantage.

- Unfortunately DH,

you can't win this one mate.

Out of the other two boards,

we're gonna make a finalist out of it.

- Like I said at the start of this whole thing you know,

I wasn't, I'm not big on epoxies, but I'm definitely,

I'm definitely learning to like them for sure.

I actually don't know who this is.

I have zero clue who this is.

- It's a Pukas.

- It's a Pukas?

Who shaped a Pukas?

- Axel Lorentz.

- Axel Lorentz, yeah right.

Cool.

Yeah, I don't even really know who that is,

so that's cool to find a new shaper

that I never really knew of.

As I said, I didn't know who the hell it was,

so, never seen this board before

and never seen in a shop so,

congrats.

The reason why I like this board so much

is that it justs,

all rounded just did everything nice.

All through turns it was drivey,

it was super fast,

would fit in the pocket

and I felt like I could trust that in most turns

so I think this is a Channel Islands?

Am I right?

Congratulations Channel Islands, Britt Merrick.

You guys are the winners for Stab in the Dark, 2018.

Congrats.